Best Online Therapy: How Are The “Best” Online Therapy Websites Ranked?

Online
therapy
and
correspondence
therapy
have
been
struggling
since
the
1990s,
but
within
the
last
three
decades,
we've
seen
the
scientific
community
embrace
the
model.
The
reason
they
haven't
been
as
popular
before
is
that
they
weren't
as
effective,
but
they
definitely
can
be
more
effective.

In
fact,
research
is
starting
to
show
that
receiving
therapy
online
is
increasing
in
effectiveness,
meaning
that
telemental
health
helping
people
in
big
ways
and
has
the
same
effectiveness
as
in-office
therapy.
According
to
recent
studies,
the
best
online
therapy
programs
evaluated
from
the
year
2000
to
2012,
showed
that
attending
regular
sessions
with
online
therapists
proved
effective
in
reducing
negative
thoughts,
depressive
symptoms
and
other
mental
health
issues.

In
many
cases,
online
therapy
has
proven
to
be
even
more
effective
than
in-person
therapy.
How
is
this
possible?
For
starters,
effective
online
therapy
was
not
merely
a
well
written
correspondence
course
or
a
"life
coach"
session.
These
programs
were
based
on
the
Cognitive
Behavioral
Therapy
(CBT)
technique,
which
has
been
studied
as
the
most
effective
therapy
to
treat
depression
and
anxiety.
CBT
is
considered
equal
to
or
even
more
effective
than
medication,
according
to
some
studies.

Online
therapy
that
incorporates
CBT
is
essentially
in-person
therapy
with
one
major
difference:
any
pressures
that
trigger
anxiety
attacks,
like
driving
to
the
clinic,
or
confronting
a
doctor
face
to
face,
are
eliminated.
The
patient
can
focus
on
applying
the
techniques
and
the
practical
advice
the
therapist
offers.
What's
even
better
is
they're
doing
it
in
a
place
that
they
feel
most
comfortable.
They're
going
to
have
the
freedom
to
really
relax
in
their
own
home
and
to
lay
out
on
a
couch
or
sit
in
a
chair
to
help
share
their
thoughts
and
feelings.

With
in-person
therapy,
a
patient
must
drive
to
the
clinic,
sit
in
a
waiting
room
and
then
sit
in
an
uncomfortable
office.
It
makes
for
a
very
uncomfortable
situation
and
those
who
suffer
from
depression
or
anxiety
could
be
less
inclined
to
open
up
in
these
kinds
of
conditions.
That's
why
it's
so
important
to
find
a
neutral
ground
where
the
patient
feels
good
and
the
therapist
can
get
the
best
possible
idea
of
what
they're
experiencing
and
what
they
need
most.
Participating
in
therapy
online
removes
the
stressful
components
of
attending
in-office
therapy
sessions.

According
to
studies
published
in
JAMA
Psychiatry,
distance
therapy
works
out
well
for
online
therapists
as
well.
In-office
therapy
doctors
are
typically
overworked
and
stressed,
leading
to
impaired
judgment
or
even
their
own
issues
with
depression.
By
allowing
HIPPA
compliant
online
therapists
to
work
from
a
more
comfortable
setting
or
even
keeping
them
in
their
office
but
in
a
private
manner
it
can
allow
them
to
feel
better
about
interacting
with
patients
and
it
can
give
them
more
freedom
to
set
unique
hours.
This
can
help
the
doctor
also
to
feel
better
about
the
situation
and
to
make
sure
they
are
prepared
for
whatever
their
patients
might
need.

The
Best
Online
Therapy
Offers
Education
And
Experience

Now
for
sessions
with
online
therapists
to
be
truly
effective,
the
therapist
must
come
from
an
educational
background.
Licensed
and
accredited
therapists
typically
come
with
Master's
Degrees
or
even
a
Doctorate
Degree
and
specialize
in
a
specific
field.
The
specialized
training
that
online
therapists
receive
prepares
them
to
practice
internet
psychotherapy
and
develop
a
therapeutic
relationship
with
online
clients.

A
therapist
that
specializes
in
depression
is
likely
not
going
to
do
as
well
with
patients
who
suffer
from
obsessive-compulsive
disorder.
They
have
a
general
understanding
of
what
is
needed
and
they
certainly
aren't
going
to
do
any
harm,
but
they're
not
going
to
be
as
effective
as
a
therapist
who
works
primarily
with
obsessive-compulsive
patients.
In
order
to
receive
good
therapy,
choose
an
online
therapist
that
works
in
the
field
related
to
your
specific
diagnosis
or
complaint.

The
online
therapist's
education
is
only
part
of
the
tough
screening
process.
Certification
and
licensing
require
experience,
sometimes
up
to
three
years
and
thousands
of
in-person
training
with
another
doctor.
You
want
to
choose
an
online
therapist
who
has
worked
in
the
field
for
an
extended
period
of
time
and
has
worked
with
a
number
of
patients
before.
A
good
rule
of
thumb
is
to
search
for
online
therapists
that
are
licensed
to
practice
therapy
services
online.
Today's
online
therapists
are
licensed
to
provide
individual
online
therapy,
couples
therapy,
veterans
affairs,
and
more.

This
is
going
to
show
you
that
they
know
what
they're
actually
doing
and
they
know
how
to
help
you
to
improve
your
life.
It's
going
to
be
a
big
step
and
it's
extremely
important
when
it
comes
to
choosing
the
therapist
you're
going
to
work
with.

It's
also
important
to
remember
that
the
best
online
therapy
will
not
be
the
most
educated
or
experienced
doctor/therapist.
Rather,
it
will
be
one
with
education
and
experience
that
matches
your
needs.
After
all,
you
want
someone
that
you
can
feel
comfortable
with
and
that
you're
going
to
open
up
to.
If
the
doctor
that
fits
those
qualifications
isn't
the
most
experienced
that's
okay.
Your
comfort
is
actually
the
number
one
concern
and
when
you
start
talking
to
a
doctor
you're
going
to
have
a
better
understanding
of
this.

Source:
rawpixel.com

When
it
comes
to
types
of
doctors
you'll
find
that
there
are
plenty
out
there
and
they
each
specialize
in
something
different.
There
are
family
counselors
as
well
as
therapists
who
specialize
in
depression
and/or
bipolar.
There
are
therapists
who
specialize
with
adults
or
with
younger
children
and
there
are
those
who
work
in
just
about
any
area
you
could
think
of.
That's
how
you're
going
to
find
someone
that
can
actually
help
you
and
keep
in
mind
that
person
may
not
be
the
same
one
who
helped
a
friend
of
yours
or
even
the
same
one
who
helped
you
with
a
different
issue
in
the
past.
Lastly,
don't
forget
the
importance
of
the
personal
relationship
between
client
and
therapist.
Therapy
people
recommend
that
you
schedule
sessions
with
someone
whom
you
enjoy
chatting
with
that
put
you
at
ease.

At
BetterHelp.com,
you
can
always
expect
the
best
online
therapy,
one
centered
around
you,
and
based
on
Cognitive
Behavioral
Therapy,
a
practical
treatment
that
can
help.
Millions
of
people
are
learning
the
value
of
receiving
health
services
online
and
are
opting
out
of
in-office
therapy.
CBT
with
a
trained
online
therapist
has
been
proven
to
change
thinking
patterns
and
lead
to
successful
treatment.
Thus,
the
million-dollar
question:
If
you
have
problems
with
depression
or
anxiety,
why
not
video
chat
with
an
online
therapist
that
understands
you
and
can
give
you
the
best
therapy
available
that
uses
the
same
principles
as
in-office
therapy?

With
the
advent
of
technology
and
all
the
changes
that
are
taking
place
around
us
there's
no
reason
you
have
to
deal
with
the
hassle
of
an
in-office
therapy
session
again.
Instead,
you
can
take
the
steps
necessary
to
truly
change
your
life
without
even
leaving
your
own
home.
When
you
attend
chat
sessions
with
an
online
therapist
depression,
anxiety,
and
mental
illness
don't
need
to
run
your
life
anymore.
If
you're
ready
to
start
changing
the
way
you
think
and
improving
the
way
you
live
then
you're
definitely
going
to
want
to
find
an
online
therapist
who
can
help
you
along
the
way.
Online
clients
are
often
surprised
at
how
life
drastically
improves
in
a
short
amount
of
time.

Online
therapists
are
everywhere,
but
the
right
one,
the
one
that's
going
to
help
you
get
your
life
back
together,
is
going
to
take
a
little
more
searching
to
find.
Just
don't
get
too
caught
up
in
looking
in
all
the
usual
places
where
online
therapists
are
typically
found.
The
best
therapist
for
you
just
might
be
somewhere
that
you
wouldn't
have
expected.

Large
health
insurance
companies
now
cover
mental
illness
and
behavioral
health-related
services
online.
Health
insurance
can
cover
video
chat
sessions
with
online
therapists
the
same
way
that
they
cover
in-office
therapy
sessions.
If
you're
lucky
enough
to
have
a
health
insurance
plan
that
covers
behavioral
health
visits
for
online
clients
-an
online
therapist
could
be
the
answer
to
getting
the
life
that
you
want
to
live
back.

Sessions
with
online
therapists
are
designed
to
mimic
in-office
therapy
visits
and
provide
support
for
mental
illness
and
behavioral
health-related
issues.
If
you
a
friend
or
a
family
member
are
in
immediate
physical
danger,
this
issue
is
an
emergency.
Visit
your
nearest
emergency
room
for
immediate
attention
or
make
an
emergency
call
to
the
National
Suicide
Prevention
Lifeline.
You
don't
need
to
have
health
insurance
to
visit
the
emergency
room
or
speak
with
a
specialist
by
phone
24-hours
a
day.

Outside
of
handling
emergency
issues,
sessions
with
online
therapists
are
the
best
affordable
alternative
to
costly
and
time-consuming
in-office
therapy.
BetterHelp.com
offers
a
free
online
trial
for
learning
our
platform
and
connecting
clients
with
the
best
online
therapists
available.
No
more
worries
about
missed
appointments,
traffic,
or
anxiety-inducing
in-office
therapy
sessions.
Contact
one
of
our
online
therapists
today
to
get
started!

The information on this page is not intended to be a substitution for diagnosis, treatment, or informed professional advice. You should not take any action or avoid taking any action without consulting with a qualified mental health professional. For more information, please read our terms of use.

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